We are employing DNA viruses as molecular probes to study genome expression in human cells. We are studying intensively the structure and function of adeno-associated virus (AAV) since this virus has only a single gene. We are studying also adenovirus which is a more complex genome. Adenovirus is the helper virus for AAV multiplication. This helper relationship is being analysed. Also both AAV and adenovirus recombine with cellular DNA. In the case of adenovirus this causes malignant transformation of the cell. AAV can inhibit this transformation and also inhibits Ad12 oncogenesis in newborn animals. Thus AAV inhibits tumor induction. The mechanism of this inhibition of tumor induction is being studied at the molecular level in both cell culture and in animal experiments. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES: B.J. Carter, L.M. de la Maza, and F.T. Jay. (1977). The structure of the adeno-associated virus genome. In "DNA Insertion Elements: Plasmids and Episomes" (Eds., A.I. Bukhari, J. Shapiro and S. Adhaya), Cold Spring Harbor, New York. in press. L.M. de la Maza and B.J. Carter, 1977. Adeno-associated virus DNA structure. Restriction endonuclease maps and arrangement of terminal sequences. Virology, in press.